Menu

new year

So much has happened with me in the last year, that the very idea of writing an end-of-the-year post seemed exhausting. But it was really bothering me, so I had to write something after all (kindly ignore the fact that it is more than a week into the new year).

2016 was a crazy year, in a good and a bad way. If you’ve been reading since before (hello!), you would know that I moved to a different continent and began the arduous journey of getting a ‘Dr.’ in front of my name. So I’m going to let the obvious go unmentioned, and just say that even though its a new year, I’ve done so much changing in the last part of the previous year, that I feel like I’m already the “new me” everyone’s eager to be.

But there are some things that, like always, bear mentioning and reminding (because we seem to somehow forget things as simple as these)…

…be kind; everyone you meet is fighting some battle, no matter how prickly/arrogant/self-absorbed they seem

…understand the power of your words and how they might affect someone

…try and be good to yourself; you are worthy and you matter and you are unique, however much someone else may try to tell you different

…use your talents to create beauty, love, and wonderful things, because there is space for so much more of that in the world

How on earth is it already 2015? Or, to be more precise, where did 2014 go?!

In my 5 years of blogging, this last year is definitely the one in which I’ve neglected my blogging the most. And I have a reason – major life changes (oh yeah).

I completed my masters degree and spent a while lazing about, contemplating topics for a subsequent PhD. Within that period of contemplation, I began an internship with an international NGO (so that I would stop enjoying sleeping so much) and then, the internship turned into a proper job! And I realized how precious weekends were. And why people kept saying that remaining in academics was a jolly good thing to do. And I realized I’m terrible (I may be exaggerating) at multitasking in life – work became the priority and next priority (on weekends) was catching up with friends or lounging in front of the TV. So blogging-time went flying out of the nearest window. Which is sad, because now I wish I’d written about all the myriad first-time experiences I’ve had in the short time span of the last few months. Oh well.

The beginning of the year was wonderful and then suddenly declined as I dealt with an injury. Thankfully I recuperated fully from that phase. The rest of the year was a whirlwind, though a busy one…

I started getting used to this being-an-adult thingamajig (grudgingly)

I spent weekends being even more childish and crazy to compensate (I would like to thank my parents for making that possible)

I learnt to stop being devastated when someone was mean (more like, managed to decrease the period of sadness by 2% maybe. At least it’s a start!)

I went on my first official trip for work (living alone in a hotel room isn’t all that great though)

I made new friends and became part of a wonderful work team (which made it hard for me to ever really dislike going to office)

I felt the satisfaction of working in the social sector, when I got a ton of love from the lovely girls I was working for during my internship (you can read about that here)

I made it a point to send up thanks whenever something good happened, however small the incident. Everyday miracles and good incidents are truly wonderful.

I walk into this new year with the hope that humanity wins over all the atrocities and begins moving towards a more kinder version of itself. This year, I want to send out all the positive vibes I can, with the hope that they will be reciprocated.

Happy New Year guys! Wishing you happiness, peace, love and contentment in 2015.

I graduated from college where I’d spent 3 wonderful, fruitful years. Then I went through a lot of soul-searching (to use a very cliched, yet apt phrase) so as to decide what I would do next. And I ended up at another wonderful university, doing Masters in Social Work, a course which is well on its way to making me a stronger person, ready to cope with the Big Bad World.

To be very frank, I went through a lot of heartburn this year when I didn’t get through some courses at some specific places, or when friends got through and I had to be happy for them rather than giving way to some comfortable self-pity and cynicism. Cried a lot of tears thinking I wasn’t good enough and that all those top-notch marks in college actually didn’t result in much. Realized that you have to be at least a little selfish to get yourself heard and to protect yourself.

A friend who’d decided to suddenly cut me off a year back, unfortunately stayed in my thoughts even this year. But I was happy and realized I ‘d moved on at last, when I saw that I forgot her birthday and could at last think of her without being pained at her having done whatever she did. So yes…you can actually move on.

Having joined a new course, a new university, I made a lot of new friends. And I realized that a true friendship, or discovery of a kindred soul, doesn’t need any time at all. It just needs an open heart and some warmth. I realized that rather than keeping yourself closed up within your own idle, prickly thoughts, it’s better to open up and give some people a chance to prove that they care.

WordPress and my darlingest blog also gave me many reasons to smile this year. I got almost 300 views on a single day once this year. I gained quite a few new followers who have stuck with TSB even with my erratic posting and rambling posts. Then I even started a craft blog to share my creative activities with everyone, and discovered the online world of craft which pretty much bowled me over.

Basically, it was a very mixed year, with highs and lows in equal measure.

But I am thankful…

for new friends,

for new experiences,

for a stronger me,

for the kindness of many strangers,

for the love of family and friends,

for being able to bounce back from despair,

for the blessings many do not have.

And I will keep believing in everything nice, and keep hope alive. Because it’s time to forget the lows of the past year…and take a cup of kindness for auld lang syne!